“I would like to thank the Ombudsman for her extensive review of our internal priority transfer process, which began in April 2016, and for her insightful report. She has made pragmatic and appropriate recommendations for improving the integrity and fairness of the process.

“As the Ombudsman noted, we have a duty to treat tenants fairly, apply our processes correctly and consistently, make timely decisions and communicate those decisions clearly. We have a responsibility to help tenants applying for transfers, and to complete transfers quickly.

“We agree with and support the Ombudsman’s 21 recommendations, and we are already working to implement them. In partnership with the City of Toronto, we will create a new Crisis priority transfer process by June 30, 2018. The new Crisis priority will help us to act quickly and effectively when there is an urgent and immediate risk to the health or safety of a member of the household.

“We will consult tenants, members of our team, and other stakeholders as we develop the new Crisis priority. We will also look at options for managing the Medical and Safety at Risk transfer lists while we transition the new Crisis process, with consideration to fairness and the needs of tenants.

“I want to thank the many tenants affected by the priority transfer process for their patience. Changes to improve the process have long been needed, and the Ombudsman’s report will guide us in making those improvements.

“We look forward to working with tenants, City staff, our partners and other stakeholders to create the new Crisis priority transfer process that meets the needs of our tenants.”

About
Toronto Community Housing

Toronto
Community Housing (www.torontohousing.ca) is Canada's largest provider of social
housing. Wholly owned by the City of
Toronto, we provide homes for nearly 60,000 low and moderate income households
in neighbourhoods across the city. Our 2,100 buildings represent a $10-billion
public asset.